Brian Cowen expects a winter of discontent but an ever powerful union of another sort is preparing for action....the players union.
The Banner is torn, with 17 players handing in a letter to the County Board but the men in suits (or woolly jumpers) standing by the embattled MIke Mac. The trouble is that this one will not go away. While the Bannermen will hardly strike, the divisions run deep and one has to question Mike's sanity for wanting to go again despite all the opposition.
Clare isnt the only place where the players aren't happy.
The Dublin, Mayo and Laois footballers are not too pleased while word reaches Shoulder of deep angst amongst the Deise stick men. The Waterford lads are not happy with Davy but after the Justin debacle they will be reluctant to raise the heads again, but what are the odds of Mike Mac walking and Davy taking over before the year is out???
Do not rule it out.....
And now to matters of a Down Under nature.
Tommy Walsh shocked nobody by leaving but I expect Kenenelly to announce his return to Oz very shortly. Word reaches Shoulder that the deal is done, and Tadgh is packing the bags, just waiting to announce the timings.
Cusack's Late Late Show........And lastly, for now, as the dust settles on Donal óg Cusack's book, it now looks like the player will walk away with all the plaudits. His Late Late performance was superb and polished as you would expect from one so articulate and sharp minded.
It struck Shoulder that the very things that made Cusack great, were the same things that made him so many enemies.
He is a true hurling man and passionate, but he is intense and driven, the attributes that made him succeed but also led to his lack of willingness to compromise his principles and helped cause division.
In the long run though, his honesty will be apllauded and his memoirs will go down as some of the best yet......